Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1887-05-27
NASHVILLE TENN, May Goth.

years, IL is again blooming lnuO
prosperity. The hum of machinery
the ring of the artizan's hammer,
the hustle of the streets makes one
think of town filled win peo-
pie who are wide awake; and were
it not for the scorching sun and
myriads of colored people, the Wis
itor might forget but what he
was in some bustling city of The
north west.
The Vanderbilt Uuiniversity and
the Fisk University (the largest
institution for colored people in
the world) are located here, and in
addition there are numerous other
schools, both public and private.
The people are proud of their in
stitutions of learning and support
them with hearty good will.
There are many interesting
features, historical and otherwise,
about the city, but it is useless in
short letter like this to attempt
to give them in detail.
Ivisited the last resting place of
ex-President James K. Polk, over
which monument was raised pre-
vious to the war. He is buried
i'll the yard fronting the old Polk
residence, where his widow now
lives, though nearly eighty. The
house and the grounds look old
and neglected and it was difficult
to realize that the grave
of the tenth President and
its surroundings especially
while the wife was still living
the wife, who a score of years ago
was the leader of fashion and
society in Nashville, could be SO
neglected. Mrs. Polk was an ardent
rebel and did perhaps as much as
any other one person toward re-
cruiting the rebel ranks from the
male population of this city. One
of her methods was to induce the
young ladies to send hooped-skirts
and petty-coats to such young men
as refused or hesitated to enlist
under the stars and bars. While
at the same time the remembrance
of the position she once occupied,
of what she had been, protected her
from any indignities upon the
part of the union soldiers. Even
her stables were left undisturb-
ed when almost every one
In Nashville had been called upon
for its share of horse flesh to re-
cruit the federal cavalry.
The Hermitage, where another
ex-president lies, is only a few
miles away, but l did not, as many
do, make a pilgrimage thereto.
Many string events took place
here during the war, though the
evidences are nearly all swept
away. Just south and east of the
city quite an important battle was
fought between Hood and "Pap'
Thomas, in December 1864, re.
sulting in the complete defeat OF
the rebcl general, with loss of g
number of men and ffty-foul
pieces of artillery, and following
as it dld directly upon the fight al
Franklin, twenty miles south
where was fought one of the
bloodiest battles of the war
Hoods loss being over five thou.
sand in four or five hours, so Clip.
pied his army that he beat a hasty
retreat, and the people in the vi.
cinity of n ashville were not again
molested.
How quickly time wipes out the
evidence of those fierce and san
guninary struggles. Not twenty:
three years have passed away and
yet the fields that were dyed with
blood are covered with corn,
green pastures or ripening grain.
Only a few redoubts are left tomark
the spot where heroes so freely
gave up the lives for what theil
|conscience told them was the
right.
| Forts Negley and Morton in the
southern suburbs of the city
where the fierce artillery duel was
fought, are less than half a mile
apart being separated by the
Franklin Pike. Negley is now
but a rough uneven knoll upon
which few vagabond prickly pears
are struggling for existence, while
Morton has been seized by the
ruthless hand of the real estate
fiend, and is being leveled tc
make room for a new addition tc
the City of Nashville. And soon
beautiful residences will be reared
and innocent children playing
upon the spot where few years
ago Union courage with shot and
shell forced the brave cohorts oi
Hood from their stronghold.
| | cannot close this letter with
out reference to the National
Cemeteryfve miles north of Nash
vile. 1t is a beautiful spot--this
city of the dead! The long lines
of white headstones mark the spots
uhara tho narfurod harnaS lie